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Best Nightlife Spots For The Under 21 Crowd In Pittsburgh

It can be frustrating when you’re under the legal drinking age and are looking for something to do with your evening or weekend. Fortunately, Pittsburgh offers tons of great venues for the under 21 crowd, from amusement parks to movies in the park. Read on for the 5 best Pittsburgh nightlife spots geared toward those who aren’t quite legal to drink, or who need a break from the bar scene.

Sandcastle, sister of Pittsburgh’s popular Kennywood and Idlewild amusement parks, is a fun-for-everyone water park that boasts entertainment from nighttime events to rides and slides, to waves, rivers and pools. There are treats to please every palette and tons of extra events happening all summer long. Pull your boat up along the river to dock and jump right into the fun, or take a 20 minute cruise from most anywhere to the park (conveniently located a mere 5 minutes from Kennywood). Grab a group and rent a cabana for the night, and if you’re feeling liberal, throw in a waiter to bring your beverages and snacks to you. Or check out Jukebox Sundays from 6 to 10 p.m. Admission buys a ticket to enjoy live entertainment, music by guest DJs and choose from tons of dinner options at the Backstreet Grill. Bonus: season ticketholders attend for free. Snuggle up to your sweetie at the open fire pit and enjoy a relaxing evening of live tunes next to the picturesque Mon river.

What could possibly beat a nighttime Pittsburgh Pirates game at serene, beautiful PNC Park? With nonstop baseball action, fun promotions, exciting and free events, PNC Park offers entertainment for even the least enthusiastic of sports fans. Check out the calendar of events to find out if your favorite band is playing, or when the breathtaking Zambelli fireworks displays are taking place. Each game is different, so pick your favorite Pirate opponent, choose your promotion and pack it in for an unforgettable evening under the stars and across from one of the most historic skylines in the country. If you’re feeling extra ambitious, park at Station Square and take a relaxing ride over to the park on the Gateway Clipper, or take advantage of the Strip District’s water limo service.

If you’re looking for something a little more budget-friendly and totally different, check out Dollar Bank’s Cinema in the Park, located in various Pittsburgh parks around the city. Choose from Schenley, Arlington, Arsenal, Brookline, Grandview, Riverview, Highland or West End/Elliott Overlook parks for a free, unforgettable evening of today’s hit films. Don’t forget your blanket or lawn chairs and make sure to pack yourself a snack, because unlike the drive-in, concession foods are not available. Head over to the City of Pittsburgh website to also learn about Cinema’s sister event, Concert Series, featured before the film’s commencement at dusk.

Price: General admission – $15/ VIP members – $12/ Fridays: Ladies in line before 10 p.m. – $5
Click here for a calendar of events

You can’t have a best under 21 nightlife list without including Pittsburgh’s best under 21 nightclub. Zoo Entertainment Complex has been serving up the hottest tunes, best non-alcoholic beverages, and non-stop partying to the ‘Burgh’s younger crowd for more than 12 years. Newly relocated just 10 minutes outside of downtown in Harmarville (in the old Jets nightclub), Zoo has been completely revamped to include four tiers of danceroom, 50,000 watts of raw sound and the most high-tech computerized light show on the market. The club even features a hydraulic trussing system, confetti cannons and snow machines to make for a second-to-none Saturday night.

Price: Varies per day, per hour of game play. Please see website for special group pricing
Click here for special prices, promotions and a full list of available games

Last, but most definitely not least, is Pittsburgh’s best and largest non-chain video arcade. Games N’ At, located conveniently in the heart of the South Side, offers tons of awesome, challenging game play. Pay one flat fee for unlimited action on pool tables, old-school video games, air hockey, foosball, PC games, ping pong and more. Grab a group to take advantage of their unbeatable party packages, or go alone and snag a slice before challenging yourself to hours of competitive action-packed gaming.

Nikki Tiani-Moroney is a full time mum of two boys, wife of a professional poker player/photographer/amateur pencil-sharpening competitor and writer from Pittsburgh, PA. When she isn’t studiously neglecting her housework in favor of a good book, she’s out simultaneously fighting crime and picking up sidewalk litter while savoring an occasional cigarette. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.